Airport Kid Friendly Guide

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Flying with kids can be achallenge. Cooped up in aconfining aluminum tubefor hours, herded throughsecurity, and generally

cranky, they crave entertainment and

diversion. Heres Cheap Flight Newsguide to help you provide precisely that.

Well take a look at some of the countryskey connecting airports, and whatthey have to offer. Interestingly, someotherwise wonderful airports are all butbereft of things to keep kids entertained.Others, such as Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)and San Francisco (SFO) offer places

to either blow off steam,or engage in flights ofchildlike fancy.

A caveat: while lots of

airports are opening new,

innovative play areas and museums, dont

leave your child there unattended. No

matter how secure it seems, supervised

play is safe play.

Hartsfield-Jackson AtlantaInternational Airport (ATL)

Atlanta lays rightful claim to being theworlds busiest airport. Its also the primehub for Delta Air Lines. Theres an arrayof changeable art spotted throughout theairport, and a nifty model train exhibition

near the entrance to Concourse T. Thecurrent hit is a skeletal Yangchuanosaurus.

ATL partnered with the Fernbank Museumof Natural History to display the skeleton inthe airports atrium.

Baltimore/Washington InternationalThurgood Marshall (BWI)

A major focus city for discount airlineSouthwest, Baltimore/Washington has lotsof kids passing through. The best place totake them between flights is the childrensplay area. Youll find it upstairs in the mainterminal, in BWIs Observation Gallery. Thisis a one-of-a-kind place. Theres an arrayof airplane parts: a wing, tail, wheels, evenpart of a fuselage. Theres also some reallyinnovative play equipment, and the area iscarpeted.

Boston Logan International (BOS)

Boston boasts some of the bestmuseums on the planet, theChildrens Museum of Bostonamong them. The museums

Kidport is in Terminal C, the departure levelof the main terminal. It offers hands-on,interactive exhibits that compel a child toplay and think. Theres an airplane-climbingsculpture, a baggage-claim slide, an

infant and toddler play area, and a whatsoutside window display.

The Terminal A facility sports a Kidportdesigned by Playtime. Theres a replica ofthe unique Boston control tower, and a wallrendition of Terminal A itself.

Charlotte DouglasInternational (CLT)

Charlotte doesnt have a designated playarea for kidsper se, but there are diversionsat US Airways southern hub. While theresan in-terminal airport history exhibit, checkout the Carolinas Aviation Museum. Its athree- to five-minute drive from the airport.There, youll see more than 50 aircraft ondisplay. Admission is $5 for children, $8 foradults. The museum is open Sundays from1pm-5pm; Tuesdays through Saturdays

10pm-4pm. Information: 1-704-359-8442.

Chicago OHare International (ORD)

Chicago too has some of thebest museums anywhere andone of them has migrated, atleast in part, out to OHare

International. The Chicago ChildrensMuseum sports a Kids On the Flyinteractive exhibit. Its post-security, inTerminal 2. Theres an air traffic controltower, a fantasy helicopter, cargo plane,and luggage station. Kids On the Fly is fullyaccessible to passengers with disabilities.

OHare International Airport is namedfor an authentic hero: Lt. CommanderEdward Butch OHare, who won theCongressional Medal of Honor during WorldWar II. In ORDs Terminal 2 youll find a

restored F4F-3 Wildcat, the kind of craftOHare flew. Teach your children well here.

Kids

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The display is more about the man than themachine he flew.

Speaking of teaching the children, theChicago Fire Department and the ChicagoChildrens Museum partnered to puttogether an educational area in Terminal 5.

There, kids learn how to respond in case ofemergencies, such as fire.

Cincinnati-Northern KentuckyInternational (CVG)

This airport just off the banks of the Ohiois a major hub for Delta Air Lines. To keepchildren entertained between flights,Cincinnati has a Kidsport located in one ofthe most prominent places in the airport:

the top of the escalator on Concourse A.There are miniature buildings to explore,and rocking chairs for parents to sit andsupervise. The Cartoon Network is on in thebackground.

Dallas/Fort WorthInternational (DFW)

Dallas/Fort Worth International is AmericanAirlines largest hub and one of the most

innovatively kid-friendly airports around.DFW has a trio of Junior Flyer Clubs. One islocated in Terminal B, at Gate 12. The 685-square-foot area is aviation themed withrunway, roadway, car, airplane, and controltower. The gear is padded, and theres aplace for mom and dad to sit and exerciseparental control. The Terminal C club is atGate 14. Its a bit smaller at 600-squarefeet. Over in International Terminal D, theJunior Flyers Club is at Gate D-30, next toMcDonalds, which makes for a convenient

combination. Television monitors in the playareas broadcast the Boomerang channel.

DFW also boasts one of the mostbewitching airport rides in the country Skylink. Ostensibly Skylink is thereto connect flyers from one terminal to

another. Kids know better. Its prime reasonfor being is to provide them with a swift,phantasmagorical panorama of one of thebusiest airports on the planet. Skylink isfree. Just add imagination.

Denver International Airport (DEN)

Theres a small, unsupervised play area onthe mezzanine level of Concourse B, United

Airlines main concourse. While otherwise

bereft of neat things for kids to do, Denveroffers a free underground train. They find itfascinating.

Detroit Metropolitan WayneCounty Airport (DTW)

Detroit, a large Northwest Airlines hub,sports seven - count em - play areas. Allare located in the relatively new McNamaraTerminal, and are arrayed along theboarding concourses. Youll find four playareas in Concourse A, two in Concourse B,and one in Concourse C. In the check-inlobby of venerable Smith Terminal theres aneat Sturgeon display. Kids love it. Thesefish have been swimming in the GreatLakes since the days of the dinosaurs.

Las Vegas McCarranInternational Airport (LAS)

One of the best airports in the country forcatering to kids is Las Vegas McCarranInternational. A focus city for discountairline Southwest, Las Vegas long agolearned that providing a place for children,

as well as adults, to play was simply goodbusiness.

Theres an aviation-themed play arealocated on the second floor of the airportsD Concourse, overlooking the rotunda.Thats where flyers catch or exit theautomated trams that connect with Terminal1. The area sports a miniature control tower,and a tunnel (theyre always intriguing).

For older children, check out the Howard W.Cannon Aviation Museum. While there aredisplays throughout the airport, the mostprominent one is located on Level 2, abovebaggage claim. Its an area passengershave to pass through on their way to orfrom parking and the C and D securitycheckpoints. The museum is terrific. Thereare interactive videos, old newspaperclippings, dioramas, and a vintage Cessna

172 dangling from the ceiling.

Los Angeles InternationalAirport (LAX)

Los Angeles InternationalsFlight Path Learning Center ofSouthern California chroniclesthe golden years of commercial

aviation. Located adjacent to LAX at 6661West Imperial Highway, youll have to leavethe airport to get there, but if youve got


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a decent amount of time between flights,its worth it. The center features aircraftmodels, extraordinary aviation displaysand free admission. The museum is openTuesday through Saturday from 10am to3pm. Telephone 1-310-215-5291.

Miami International Airport (MIA)Looking for a place kids can play at MIA?Go to Gate 35 on the D Concourse, the

American Eagle gates. Theres a childrensrecreation area there. The airport alsohas rotating childrens art exhibits post-security in the Concourse D/E Connectorarea. Miami is a major Latin gateway for

American Airlines.

Minneapolis/St. PaulInternational (MSP)

Minneapolis/St. Paul, a major NorthwestAirlines hub, has a couple of nicely outfittedplay areas: one in the main LindberghTerminal, the other in the HumphreyTerminal. Each is about 1,000-square feet.The Lindbergh play area is on Concourse C.The Humphrey facility is on that terminalssecond floor. Kids can climb about on a

mock airplane, control tower, and loungeabout in seats that resemble luggage. Thewalls are decked with interesting factsabout aviation.

Milwaukee MitchellInternational (MKE)

Midwest Airlines prime hub has a terrificallyentertaining aviation museum. The MitchellGallery of Flight is located near Concourse

C, and admission is free. Its open sevendays a week, from 7am to 10pm. Here

they can learn about General Billy Mitchell,the visionary Army Air Corps officer whoforetold the shape of modern aerial warfare.Theres also a fine collection of modelaircraft. Information: 1-414-4503.

Nashville International Airport (BNA)

Fly to Nashville and you expect music.You wont be disappointed even at theairport. BNA, which is a major focus city fordiscount airline Southwest, sports three livemusic stages for all genres and rhythms,not just country. Theres a Welcome toMusic City Stage on the baggage claimlevel, and two other stages, one at eachof the security checkpoint entrances. Ifmusic hath powers to soothe the savage

beast, it might just work on kids too. If itdoesnt, there is a childrens play area inthe Concourse Connector.

Once a major makeover of BNA iscomplete, there will be six music stages,and new play areas on Concourse Cbetween Gates 15 and 17, as well as at theend of Concourse A.

New York John F. KennedyInternational (JFK)

New York Kennedy is an airportbuilt for business travelers,but heres one of Kennedysbest-kept secrets for kids.

The AirTrain is free when youre using itto connect between terminals. Its sleek,fast, elevated and guaranteed to give youand your children a fascinating birds eye

view of one of the most colorful airportsanywhere. Try it.

Newark Liberty InternationalAirport (EWR)

Newark has its own AirTrain, and it toois free. Continental Airlines is the primeplayer at EWR, and that means a lot of kidsconnecting with their families. When theydo, one of the very best diversions around

is a couple of laps of the airport on AirTrain.The set-up is supposed to be there forconnecting travelers, but lots of folks ride

just for the fun of it.

Orlando International Airport (MCO)

Children flock to centralFlorida. They come for Disneyand Universal Studios, butbefore they even hit the theme

parks, they can get a taste of the areasentertainment options right at OrlandoInternational Airport.

First, the art. We dont mean highbrow,unapproachable art, but stuff thatsaccessible by kids. Look for whimsicalcharacters at each level of the parkinggarage. One kid-favorite is the life-sizebronze called The Traveler. Its on the Aside of the Hotel Atrium. Gates 100 through129 are decorated with large floor mosaicsof fish, flowers, and ferns. Children love totrace the patterns with their feet, and jumpfrom one image to another. As for real fish,theres a 3,000-gallon salt-water tank with100 of the aquatic creatures. Youll find it inthe main terminal food court. On occasion,a diver descends into the airport depths tofeed the critters.

Orlando has a couple of Kennedy SpaceCenter stores in the main terminal. Kids can


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actually touch a portion of an asteroid fromMars, and see life-size astronaut models.

The airports game room is the PowerArcade. Its on the South Walk of theLandside Terminal building. Outside theterminal is a pair of parking garages.

Nothing special there except that the onesat Orlando contain a central atrium filledwith Florida fauna, fountains, streams andsuch. Its a great place to escape whilewaiting for a flight.

Speaking of escape, if you can afford thetime to leave the airport, check out theB-52D in Memorial Park. Its a short drivefrom the terminal. The massive airplane isimpressive.

Phoenix Sky HarborInternational Airport (PHX)

US Airways home base, and a prime focuscity for discount airline Southwest, PhoenixSky Harbor gets a lot of family flyers. Kidshave four places to let off steam. All theseplay areas are fitted with padded climbinggear, designed for young children, and are

post-security. Youll find them in Terminal2s upper concourse area, on both ofTerminal 3s concourses, and in Terminal 4sInternational Concourse, near Gates B15-28.

Looking for kid-friendly art? Theres a pre-security gallery in Terminal 4, on Level 3. Itsfree and open 24/7. Some of the rotatingexhibits are geared specifically for kids.

San Francisco International (SFO)

San Francisco International, a majortranspacific launchpad for United Airlines,is one of those airports that speaks ofan earlier, more elegant era of air travel.If you want to transport your children tothat time, take them to San Francisco

Airport Commission Aviation Library &Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum. Its free,and youll find it in the new InternationalTerminal. The 11,500-square foot facilityis modeled after the 1937 waiting room atSFO. There are some extraordinary Pan Amexhibits, and lots of fascinating models.Kids of around nine or ten will find it flat-outfascinating. The museum is open Sundaysthrough Fridays from 10am to 4:30pm. Its

closed Saturdays and holidays. Information:1-650-821-6700.

In search of something soothing? Theresa nice aquarium in Boarding Level C, theDepartures/Ticketing Level of Terminal 1.Something more active, even interactive?The SFO Kids Spot is post-security, inTerminal 3, Boarding Area F, near Gate 87A.Theres a crawling apparatus, and a PlasmaWall, which shoots arcs of energized coloractivated by sound. Its a great place forchildren to de-energize before boarding.

Seattle/Tacoma InternationalAirport (SEA)

Alaska Airlines recently openeda terrific play area for children

just a hop, skip, and a jump fromthe Central Terminal. Located

post-security, the 1,400-square-foot affair isfitted with aviation-themed play equipment.

The stuff is soft foam and fabulous. Kidsespecially like the airplane, control tower,and baggage cart. Theres a family-friendlyrestroom here with rocking chairs forparents and babies as well as seatingaround the play area for mom and dad to sitand rest a bit.

Washington DullesInternational Airport (IAD)

Perhaps the most magnificent aviationenclave on the planet is a quick drivefrom Washington Dulles International.Its the National Air Museums Steven F.Udvar-Hazy Center. There the family cansee the Dash 80, the prototype 707, theairliner that ignited the modern jet age; a

super-secret SR-71 Blackbird; the B-29Enola Gay, the craft that dropped the A-bomb on Hiroshima; and even the spaceshuttle Enterprise. How close is Dulles?The Donald D. Engen Observation Toweroffers a panoramic vista of the internationalairport, the East Coast transatlanticgateway for United Airlines.

While theres no admission charge perse, there is a $12 parking fee. The easiest

way to access the center, and save somemoney, is to catch the Virginia RegionalTransit System bus from Dulles. Board itoutside the Main Terminal on the GroundLevel, at curbside location2E. The fare is $0.50 perperson. For a schedule,go to the airport Web site.For information about theUdvar-Hazy center, call 1-

202-633-1000.

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Airport Kid Friendly Guide